Despite the endorsement of his superior officers, Iverson’s promotion was greeted with widespread discontent within the ranks of the North Carolina troops, who resented serving under a general from another state. Those concerns first arose during the time that Garland commanded the brigade. The complaints remained largely muted because of Garland’s leadership abilities and his undoubted courage in battle. The reaction to Iverson’s appointment proved much worse. For many of the men in the brigade, his selection over Col. McRae and other qualified Tar Heel officers was seen as a major affront to their honor and state pride.47
Iverson compounded the problem by retaining Asst. Adjt. Gen. Don Peters Halsey and most of the other Virginia officers that staffed Garland’s Brigade. In terms of ability, there was certainly no room for complaints about Capt. Halsey. He was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1836 and graduated with distinction from Emory and Henry College in Virginia at the age of 19. After briefly attending the University of Virginia, Halsey spent several more years studying law and ancient languages at major German universities in Bonn, Berlin, and Heidelberg. He also spoke French, German, Spanish, and Italian with virtually no trace of an accent.
As the crisis over the Union began to build, Halsey returned from Europe and worked openly for the election of Union delegates to the State Convention. Like many other pro-Union Virginians, Halsey remained loyal to his home state at the outbreak of war and joined the Confederate army. He served first as a lieutenant in the 2nd Virginia Cavalry. Following the reorganization of his regiment, Halsey joined the staff of Maj. Gen. James Longstreet, where he served as a volunteer aide. Soon afterward, he assumed a permanent position on Samuel Garland’s staff as an aide-de-camp and later as assistant adjutant general.
Besides being one of the most brilliant men in the army, at nearly six foot two Halsey was also an imposing figure. His physical presence was matched by his acknowledged bravery in battle. In his report on the action at Seven Pines, Garland noted that Halsey, “having attracted universal applause throughout my entire command by his handsome behavior, was rallying a disorganized regiment and leading it forward with their colors in his hand when he received a dangerous wound in the head.” Although the injury left him blind in one eye, he soon returned to duty and was standing by Garland’s side when he received his fatal wound at South Mountain.48
In addition to Halsey, the Virginia officers on Iverson’s staff included Maj. Alexander B. Garland as brigade commissary and Maj. William M. Payne as brigade quartermaster. The only immediate changes were the appointments of 31-year-old Lt. John T. Ector from Iverson’s hometown of Columbus as aide-de-camp and Lt. Waller Holladay from Virginia as the new brigade ordnance officer. Rather than filling the vacant position of brigade inspector, the newly promoted Iverson temporarily took on the duties himself. He also retained Dr. Robert I. Hicks from the 23rd North Carolina as the brigade surgeon. The fact that Hicks served as the lone Tar Heel officer on the staff only fueled the growing discontent over the selection of a Georgian to head the brigade.49
Iverson responded to those concerns by striking a conciliatory note in the first general order to the troops. “He is deeply sensible of the great responsibility that develops upon him to supply to them the place of their beloved and lamented Garland,” wrote Iverson, referring to himself in the third person. “But he hopes to receive the cordial cooperation of every officer and soldier in sustaining him in an earnest endeavor to promote the efficiency of the brigade.” Iverson went on to further pledge that “no effort shall be wanting on his part to administer to your comfort and to subserve the interest of the service.”50
Despite those remarks, Iverson soon made it clear that he was determined to impose strict rules of discipline. Only three days after taking command, he ordered regimental and company commanders to review the army regulations on military courtesy. “Courtesy among military men is indispensable to discipline,” he emphasized. “Respect to superiors will not be confined to obedience on duty, but will be extended to all occasions.” He declared that “it is always the duty of the inferior to accost or to offer first the customary salutations, and of the superior to return such complimentary notice.”51
In addition, their new brigade commander called for all officers elected since the reorganization in May and all others of “doubtful” qualifications who had been promoted during that period to appear before a board of examination. He further required officers “to wear at all times their appropriate marks of rank on their collars and cuff.” Noncommissioned officers were instructed “to wear their proper chevrons.” Iverson also ordered the regimental commanders to read the articles of war regarding discipline to their commands on the last Sunday of every month.52
Because of his experience with disease problems in Mexico and along the lower Cape Fear River, Iverson placed special emphasis on maintaining “cleanliness in quarters, clothing, & persons.” He insisted that “no excuse can exist for allowing men to wear filthy clothing.” He declared that “dirtyness and filthiness in any company or regiment” would be considered negligence of duty by its commander and “will be sufficient cause for calling officers before a board of examination.” He further ordered that “commanding officers will observe every Saturday as a day of police and will cause all clothing to be aired and the inside of tents and huts to be exposed in a thorough manner.”53
Just as he had throughout his career in the military, Iverson called for all the orders on the books to be interpreted in the strictest possible manner. Especially meanspirited was his reaction to the common practice among enlisted men on the march of paying teamsters to carry their haversacks on the brigade wagons. “This is expressly forbidden and the brigade inspector is charged with the duty of having all such baggage thrown out and of reporting the teamster for dismissal from extra duty who [carries] any but the authorized baggage,” declared the new brigade commander.54
After two months in command, the general continued to find fault with his subordinates for not properly respecting the line between officers and enlisted men. “The earnest attention of all officers is called to the necessity of introducing more effective discipline in their commands,” he wrote in one of his general orders. “In the opinion of the Brig. Genl. Comdg., the chief cause of the want of discipline is found in the familiarity and companionship of officers with soldiers.” He emphasized that from “a military point of view the private is certainly the inferior and must so be regarded.”
Iverson allowed no exceptions to this policy for anyone under his command. He declared that “the harder the line is drawn between the officer and his men provided it is not done with self complacency and with contempt toward the inferior the better and more easily can discipline be enforced.” He also demanded that the officers in the brigade “drop the home familiarity and properly appreciate the dignity of their ranks not by an unbecoming pride but with a course of conduct that will secure the prompt respect and obedience of their men.”55
Despite his penchant for strict discipline, Iverson did not always take well to orders from his superiors. Soon after assuming command of the brigade, he sent in a routine request for a furlough. When Stonewall Jackson turned him down, Iverson threatened to resign in protest. “No one can tell what day a battle may be fought,” Jackson wrote to Gen. Robert Rodes, who was temporarily commanding the division. “Whilst I would regret to see General Iverson resign yet I would rather see him do so than to approve of his furlough under present circumstances.” Rather than risk a showdown with his corps commander, Iverson backed down from his threat.56
By the early spring of 1863, Iverson had alienated nearly everyone in the brigade. The situation became so bad that many officers privately expressed outright contempt for their new commander. “I think our brigadier a very slow coach (entre nous),” Adjt. Fabius J. Haywood from the 5th North Carolina confided to Col. McRae’s brother at the end of March. On the same day, Col. Daniel Harvey Christie from the 23rd North Carolina complained in a confidential letter to Governor Vance that Iverson “has been in camp nearly four months, & the organization of the Brigade is yet incomplete & what has been done has been mainly through the energy of subordinate officers.”57
The few public comments focused on Iverson’s position as a Georgian commanding a Tar Heel brigade. “Every man belonging to it is a North Carolinian,” an unidentified private observed in a letter to a Raleigh newspaper. “And, still let it be proclaimed throughout the state that our Brigadier General (Iverson) is a Georgian, our Brigade Quartermaster and Commissary and Adjutant General are all Virginians, and many of our surgeons and other officers are from other states.” The private openly wondered how such a situation had been allowed to happen when they had so many North Carolina officers capable of commanding them.58